ESAB is a key supplier to Saipem, the pipeline contractor responsible for the construction of a pipeline system connecting the existing gas infrastructures in Russia and Turkey, through the Black Sea and over land to Ankara.

The project consists of a single pipeline in Russia, which is ready, running from Krasnodar to Dzhubga on the Black Sea coast, two parallel offshore pipelines across the Black Sea to Samsun on the Turkish coast and a single pipeline to Ankara. The total length will be 1220 km, 380 km of which runs through the Black Sea at depths of up to 2 km.

The offshore section of the project has commenced construction in 2001. Laying pipelines on the seabed at a depth of 2 km has never been undertaken before and utilises a laying technique in which the pipeline is lowered vertically from the barge instead of horizontally. As a consequence, the joining of prefabricated pipe segments on board the lay barge, Saipem 7000, without defects is difficult to achieve.

ESAB has provided Saipem with specialist technical support together with the supply of advanced welding consumables and standard welding equipment. ESAB’s consumables solutions have helped Saipem to achieve major economic benefits in quality welding with high productivity both in prefabrication and the offshore welding process itself.